Issue 687 – The Glue of Fellowship – March 18, 2022
The idea of Christian fellowship has been on my mind a lot of late. So much so that I am toying with writing a book on it. It is a vital but often misunderstood concept.
If you polled any group of Christians, you would find that to some degree, they would all agree that fellowship and the Christian community are essential. If you asked what that looked like or its basis, you would get a wide range of answers, perhaps no two alike.
While Christian fellowship can take many forms, there are some commonalities.
Believers are born again into community. We have a personalized relationship with Jesus but not an individual relationship. The individualistic, western idea that our relationship with God is “just me and Jesus” is far from biblical.
When we become believers, we enter into a relationship with the Triune God and with all other believers.
We enter into the body of Christ, a community.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
The basis of opportunity and fellowship in that community is one Spirit.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6
We were created for community and born into one body, united by one Spirit. What gift has Christ given us to hold the fellowship together?
The glue that holds fellowship together is forgiveness. The critical factor in all broken relationships is an inability or unwillingness to forgive. Believers are commanded to forgive.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Colossians 3:12-13
For fellowship to thrive, forgiveness must abound. Fellowships are full of people, and we offend and wrong one another. There are plenty of opportunities to forgive.
There is a benefit to being in a forgiving fellowship. We can become honest and transparent with one another. When we know that forgiveness is real, we can begin to strip off our masks. That makes healing and growth possible. It provides ministry opportunities and creates a winsome witness.
True Christian fellowship transcends superficial small talk and empty social platitudes. It is designed to take us into ever-deepening relationships with other believers and our Lord.
Have you experienced true fellowship? Does your heart long for it? I know mine does.
Let us move deeper together, glued together with forgiveness, united by Holy Spirit and as one united community with Christ.
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Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed.
Kevin.
Gleanings From The Word.
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (for the glory of God alone.)
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All contents are © 2001, 2022 K. F. “Kevin” Corbin and Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV). Spelling modified to Canadian English as required.
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